Migration Situation - G'Day of Reckoning

“New Zealanders that move to Australia increase the IQ of both nations” is a political zinger up there with the now problematic and misogynist quip from Churchill, the drunk and ugly one. As explaining things always makes them funnier, I’ll elaborate. What former NZ PM Rob Muldoon was getting at is, that you’d have to be dumb to move from NZ to AUS. Furthermore, the thickos that do decide to move are still smarter than the average Aussie. A real burn there from Mulzy I’m sure you’ll agree but, is it true? It’s not. Just a bit of gentle ribbing. You need to remember this was the 80s, a decade that set off on shaky legs from a trans-Tasman relations point of view. If the older Kiwi recruiter sitting behind you has just smashed his monitor to bits, it’s because they clicked this link. It’s a witty retort to a question on migration. Not only is it not true, but it turns out that the opposite is more factual. It looks like more Kiwis are choosing to go down under (up across for us) than ever before and it’s for pretty smart reasons. It’s not just Aussie that’s getting our best and brightest. Ironically, being named after a flightless bird hasn’t stopped 1000s of kiwis crossing oceans in search of better lives.

In the 12 months to March 2024, 78,200 New Zealand citizens migrated to another country, leaving a net loss of 52,500. That’s a record! It’s basically the population of Whangārei saying ‘later bo!’ and gapping it to the airport. It’s not like they’re in a hurry to get back either, for every 1 Kiwi we get back, we lose 3. This isn’t anything new. There was an annual net migration loss of 26,800 NZ citizens from 2002 to 2013. Still, 50 odd thousand Kiwis leaving is staggering, the previous record was 44,400 citizens in the year to Feb 2012 in case you were curious. In most cases, they’re not going far. "Based on the latest estimates available, just over half of these migrant departures went to Australia," Stats NZ population indicators manager Tehseen Islam said. So, what is it about Australia that is so alluring? What are the carrots that they dangle like so many corks attached to hats?

The first and most obvious one is, money baby! Australia was the first country to introduce polymer banknotes in 1988. I assume this was because the banks couldn’t accept sodden notes, drenched with tears of happiness from Kiwis looking to make deposits. I’m a recruiter with a blog to write and not an economist but, thanks to Google I can give my two cents, which by the looks of things, would be worth more if they were Aussie cents. Depending on the source the median annual salary ranges from mid 70s to high 80s. More definitively, last year TradeMe Jobs found the average salary was $70,069 for Aotearoa. Throw in the AUD perpetually pushing around the NZD and you’ll always be better off. It’s also about bang for your buck. It was revealed recently we pay 25% more than Australians for the same food! I can’t be the only one who continues to get duped reading the AUD price before NZD for the same clothes. Interest rates, transport, energy, entertainment, the list can and does go on. I’m not even going to mention the weather.

It's a question and answer of scale, we’re famously a team of 5 million compared to Aussies 26m. The more people, the more options, competition, and opportunity. It’s not all doom and gloom though. No, there’s not more room here. Population actually grew 2.8% with a net migration gain of 163,600 non-NZ citizens, mainly citizens of India, the Philippines, China and Fiji. Fingers crossed I don’t get references in any far-right e-zines for that tidbit. The good news is we’re still waving that flag for work-life balance. A couple who I hope have no ties with Tourism NZ, gave their perspective on what a move to AUS realistically looks like. Cassidy Skelton, 28, moved with her partner Nicolas, 32, and their newborn son because the pay was so much better in Nics profession.  However, they were shocked by the work culture, including the way bosses spoke to their staff and their expectation of regular unpaid overtime. Cassidy said "There was also no focus on or understanding of mental health or work-life balance in our experience,"

If you haven’t worked in another country, you may not even be aware of NZ’s unique pace. I’ve blogged before about the premium our industry puts on consultants from markets like London or Sydney. The assumption is that they are more tenacious and work at a faster pace. Overall, it tends to be true. We have a more relationship-focused approach, less transactional with people front of mind. It translates into our working style. In recent months there has been added pressure due to the current economic climate, shifting the balance a bit more towards work than life. However, in NZ there’s an appreciation that you work to live not the other way around. I love NZ, it’s unique and special, unlike anywhere else. I think the folks that left might just have to experience that firsthand, maybe come back, and appreciate what we have. To quote an advert that was doing the round when I first got here, “It’s good to come home now then bro, eat some ice creams, do some bombs, you’re never too old bro”